Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash's delayed return to the struggling team's lineup has more to do with nerve irritation in his lower left leg than the broken fibula he suffered in the second game of the season, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing unidentified sources.

According to the report, Nash, 38, appeared set to return three to four weeks ago from the non-displaced break in his left leg. The bone has healed well, but a nerve irritation in the leg surfaced during his rehabilitation, Yahoo! Sports’ sources said. The nerve caused Nash pain any time he put pressure on it.

As recently as Sunday, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni speculated that Nash might return at some point on the Lakers’ road trip that begins Tuesday in Cleveland, but Nash told USA Today that won't happen.

"I think it will be at least another two weeks," Nash said, according to the newspaper. "I can move. I can shoot. I just can't run full speed. And I'm not even in shape. I'll probably need at least a week of practice once I start running."

Meantime, the Lakers (9-12) continue to struggle on offense, which magnifies Nash’s absence since in D’Antoni’s introductory news conference after taking over for fired Mike Brown, D’Antoni said, “Give him an hour and a half,” about how long Nash would need to fix what was ailing the Lakers offense.

Instead, Nash remains sidelined. And though Yahoo! Sports reported that the nerve irritation in his leg is improving, the website added that its sources say he isn’t expected to play before the end of the month.

Nash has missed 19 of the Lakers' 21 games, and the team also is without backup point guard Steve Blake (stomach injury).

And despite D’Antoni’s confidence in him, the question remains: Can Nash save the Lakers?

"I hope I can make a difference," Nash told USA Today. "I think the team is close to doing well on their own. It's hard. It's like a second training camp. The guys haven't had a lot of time to practice under Mike.

"We really haven't had a chance to play together in a new system, and we're trying to fight through that."

With the losses mounting—four in five games, including its last two home games, against the Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, before this trip—will there be enough time, USA Today asked, to turn things around when Nash returns?

"I don't know, we'll see," Nash said. "I think anything is possible with this team. If we stick together and work hard, I think the sky's the limit. But we've got a tall task ahead of us."

After Tuesday’s game, the Lakers’ trip stops Thursday in New York, Friday in Washington and Sunday in Philadelphia, not exactly an easy road for one of the league’s oldest teams.